Simple and elegant doesn’t have to be expensive

Memorial Day weekend marks the time when many of us begin our entertaining outdoors. The flowers have bloomed, creating heady scents in our backyards.

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By
Donna M. McGarry
Posted May. 23, 2013 @ 11:32 am

Memorial Day weekend marks the time when many of us begin our entertaining outdoors. The flowers have bloomed, creating heady scents in our backyards. The weather is warmer, giving us the comfort needed to enjoy the sun’s rays and the last glimpses of daylight while outside.

Creating and keeping up with a welcoming theme while outdoors can sometimes be costly, what with purchasing patio furniture, lighting, paper plates and utensils.

Here’s my take on ways to keep the cost low while giving your setting a slightly elegant look.

Select a theme or color scheme

I find it’s easier to picture my decorated table once I have a theme in mind. For this spread, I chose the sea by using shades of teal, green and blue. I picked up a small package of “sea glass” and fake sand dollars in a local store for about $5.

Invest in melamine

While paper plates are convenient, melamine is cost-effective. For under $10, you should be able to invest in a setting for four, and you'll pay even less if you buy during sales. Melamine is also practical, since the dinnerware can be used for years to come. And my favorite — it’s dishwasher-safe, leaving time for you to relax with your company.

If you’re able, invest few dollars more for smaller salad plates or dessert dishes to make the setting a bit more elegant.

Go the extra mile

A table setting by itself can be a bit boring. By adding a few unexpected items here and there, you can liven things up a bit.

Keeping with the color scheme, I found matching candy and filled a couple of mason jars. It’s both pretty and practical, as the candy can be served to guests as a little treat after dinner.

I also picked up a small fish bowl, sprayed it with a frosted glass spray paint, filled it with my sea glass and centered a votive candle inside. I don’t have to worry about the fire, since it’s encased in the bowl.

For a beverage, I tinted lemonade so it would match the color scheme. I mixed a blue-colored raspberry-flavored drink powder with a lemonade powder. It was tasty, too! If you’re looking for something more “adult,” try serving lemonade with a little bit of blue Curacao liqueur.

The “silverware” is actually plastic. I chose this so it wouldn’t look as cheap using the traditional white picnic ware.